Animated sign.



R. WHITCOMB.

ANIMATBD SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 24, 1912.

1,082,785 Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

. s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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i@ EISTI R. WHITCOMB.

ANIMATED SIGN.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 24', 1912.

l A UWITNESSES:

INVENTOR Sell-.W

BY amc( Cla/44%A ATTORNEYS ANOGRAPH C0 WASHINGTON, D. C.

UMBIA PL R. WHI'ICOMB.

ANIMATBD SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 24, 1912.

Patented Demo, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

by@ .S RFM- U ma N N+. QAM EnlvLuU mwnn n fives WY WITNESSES t oak/WH COWASHINGTON D C RUSSELL wHITcoME, or ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

ANIMATED SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent Application filed December 24, 1912.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913. Serial No. 738,410.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, RUSSELL WHrTooMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Unio-n and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animated Signs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates, to improvements in signs for advertising and display purposes; and the present invention has for its principal objectto provide a novel and simple construction of ani- [mated sign adapted to display figures having movable parts which will attract the eye and attention of observers.

The invention has for a further object to provide a sign construction having a power transmission means for transmitting the operative impulse to the movable parts of display figures which are adapted to be connected with the display surface of the sign at any convenient or desirable point, so that 80 the said figures having movable parts are interchangeable and may be quickly and easily removed and replaced by different figures at any time when it is desired to change the appearance or display matter of the Sign. y

Another object of the invention is to provide a detachable gure having movable parts for signs of the character above described, and means for detachably connecting the figure to any part of the display surface of the sign and to the power transmitting element of the sign and establishing its operative connection therewith.

Other various specific objects of the present invent-ion not at this time more particularly enumerated will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of this invention.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the said invention consists, primarily, in the novel animated sign hereina-fter set forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the several devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be 15 generally,

more fully described in detail in the followlng specification and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claim which are appended to and which form an essential part of the said specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a face view of the novel display sign made according to and embodying the principles of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same taken on line 2-2 in said Fig. l, the said view being drawn on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same taken on line 3 3 in said Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow the said view being drawn on a reduced scale; and Fig. 4L is an enlarged detail section of the gure having movable parts in its attached relation to the power transmittingelement of the said sign. Fig. 5 is a large face view of a typical figure having movable parts which is adapted to be attached to the sign; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the same taken on line 6 6 in said Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the same taken 0n line 7 7 in said Fig. 6, lo-oking in the direction of the arrow y.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings the reference character l indicates a suitable frame-member for framing and supporting the display surface of the sign construction, and the internal operating mechanism of the sign. Securely stretched and supported in said frame-member l is a front board or sheet which comprises, preferably, a sheet 2 of cardboard, leather-board, cork, wood or any other suitable material, the face of which is covered with a facing 3 of cloth or other Suit-able material a'ording a display surface upon which advertising matter may be arranged, said facing 3 being of such a nature as not to readily show the effect of being penetrated or pierced by pin or needle points. The said front board or sheet may be held in place by means of an inner marginal backing-frame 4c, or by any other suitable means. Rigidly supported within said main frame-member l, so as to project rearwardly from said front board or sheet, and suitably disposed in permanently fixed positions, are a series of guide-pins or studs 5. Mounted upon said guide-pins or st-uds 5 so as to be movable back and forth toward and away from said front board or sheet is a movable back board or sheet. This movable back board or sheet may be made of asingle board. of any desirable material, or it may comprise a sheett of card-board, leatherboard, wood or any other suitable material which possesses a requisite degree of rigidity, the face of which is covered with a facing 7 of cork, wood or some other material easily penetrable by pin or needle points, but so constituted as to frictionally grip and hold said pin or needle points so penetrating the same. Said back board or sheet is provided with a series of perforations S so disposed as to register with said guide-pins or studs 5, which pass therethrough to slidably associate said back board or sheet with said guide-pins or studs 5. Coil springs 9 are arranged upon said guidepins or studs 5 between said front board or sheet and said back-board or sheet to normally maintain the latter in its rearwardly moved position, and in operative engagement with movement producing means to be subsequently described. Mounted in said frame-inember 1, rearwardly of said back board or sheet, are bearing brackets or supports 10, the same being located, preferably, adjacent to each end of the frame-member 1. Rotatably mounted in said bearing-brackets or supports 10 so as to extend longitudinally of said frame-member 1, preferably in its upper and lower portions, are shafts 11, the same being provided with collars 12 for securing said shafts against longitudinal movement or play in their bearings. Suitably secured upon said shafts 11, in desirable locations, are a series of eccentric cammembers 13 adapted to be rotated againstthe back of said back-board or sheet by said shafts. The rotation of said cam-members 13 tend to transmit to said back-board or sheet a bodily movement of the same toward said front board or sheet as the high point of said cam-members are carried into contact with said back board or sheet, such forward movement compressing said coilsprings 9, the tension of which returns or moves back said' back-board or sheet to normal initial position as the high-points of said cam-members pass away from the same and the low points of the cam-members are carried into contact with the same.

lllhile two shafts 11 with their accompanying operating cam-meinbers are illustrated in the drawings, it must be understood that the said shafts may be increased in number, or a single shaft may be used, according to the size, shape and arrangement of the sign, hence changes in this respect may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Said shafts 11 may be rotated by any suitable means, or from any suitable prime-mover or source of power transmission. ForeX'- ample an electric motor 1,4; may be provided connected with the frame-meinber 1, as

. shown, or other driving means may be provided. Said shafts 11 may be provided with suitable pulleys or sprocket-wheels 15 op- :eratively connected by means of a belt or chain 16 running over the same to transmit Vthe rotation of one shaft to another. One or both of said shafts 1l may be provided withv a driving pulley or sprocket 17 which is connected by means of a belt or chain 18 with the pulley or sprocket 19 connected with the power shaft of the motor 14, or other source of power. A suitable backing 20 may be connected with said frame-member 1 to' inclose its internal operating parts.

The reference -character 21 indicates an animated figure or design constructed to provide movable parts simulating the movements of birds, animals, human beings, flowers, or changeable ornamental designs. Said animated figure is adapted to be connected with the display surface of the sign as provided by said front board or sheet at any desired place or position in the area of the samea and means is provided for supporting the said figure upon said front board or sheet and at the same time connecting its operative or movable parts by means of a transnission device to said movable back board or sheet of the sign. The said animated figure comprises a body-portion having movable parts 22 connected therewith so as to be pivotally mountedE on fulcrum pins 23. Lever portions 2e are connected with said movable parts 22 so as to be operatively disposed within the chambered portion 25 of the said body-portion.

The reference-character 26 indicates a tubular-member or sleeve provided with a flange or base 27 by means of which the same may be attached to the back of the body-portion of said figure so that said tubular member or sleeve projects rearwardly therefrom. Passing through said tubular-member or sleeve 26 is a slidable pin or needle shank 28 the outer end of which is provided with a needle-point 29. The inner end of said needle shank 2S is provided with a cone or cam-shaped head 30 adapted to engage in slidable and operative contact with. said lever portions 24 of the movable with. The said body-portion of the figure 2l may also be provided with pin-pointsor holding devices 31 which Apenetrate said front board or sheet to further provide stability of attachment and connection of the same with said front board orsheet. When the figure is thus assembled withathe front and back boards or sheets of the sign, and the back and forth movement of said back-board or sheet is induced by the operation of said cam-members 13, the said: back and forth movement of the back-board or sheet is transmitted to said needle-shank 28 which is slidably reciprocated in said stationary tubular member or sleeve 26, thus causing the cone or cam-shaped head 3VO to be reciprocated in contact with said lever portions 24 of the ntovable parts 22 of the figure, Whereby those parts are put in operation to simulate the movement of animals, birds and the like as above mentioned.

lt will, of course, be apparent that any number of figures of various kinds having movable parts may be connected with the display surface of the sign in the manner above set forth, and that said figures may be attached in any position or point in the area of said display surface, so that the same will always engage some point of said moving back-board or sheet and will receive the operative impulse of the same. It follows also that said figures are interchangeable and replaceable, and may be subject of a wide variation of design and the moving parts to a wide variation of operation or movement. The moving parts of the figures 1r ay be one or more in number, and are capable of various operative arrangements.

The essential principle involved is the provision of the tubular member or sleeve with which is associated the reciprocating needle-shank through the medium of which the movement of the back-board or sheet is transmitted to the moving parts of Vthe figure, and to this end the cone or cam-shaped head of said needle-shank may be modified to suit the peculiarities of the moving parts of the figure to be operated.

The said animated figures may be made in all varieties of size and form and may be used in association with letters or wording comprising the advertising matter of the sign.

It will be apparent from the above description that the present invention provides a very novel anim ated sign adapted to readily attract the eye of an observer, and to awake the observers interest and examination because it cannot readily be determined what causes the animation or movement of the movable parts of the figures connected with the display surface of the sign.

As has already been indicated in the above specification many changes may be made in the above described construction of my invention and its detail parts, and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims, I intend that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

l desire it also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all stater ents of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. l claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a fixed front-board, a movable back-board mounted to move bodily toward and away from said front board, means for producing the movement of said back-board, a figure having movable parts adapted to be attached to said front board, means connected with said figure for engaging said movable backboard whereby the latter transmits motion to the movable parts of said figure.

In a device of the kind described, a fixed front-board7 a movable back-board mounted to move bodily toward and away from said front-board, means for supporting said back-board in movable relation to said front-board, means for producing the ing movable parts adapted t-o be removably attached to said front-board at any point in its area, means connected with said figure when so att-ached passing through said front-board and engaging said back-board whereby the latter transmits motion to the movable parts of said figure.

3. In a device of the kind described, a fixed front-board, a movable back-board mounted to move bodily toward and away from said front-board, means for supporting said back-board in movable relation to said front-board, means for producing the movement of said back-board, a needle-shank passing thro-ugh said front-board and engaging said Aback-board whereby the movement of the latter reciprocates said needleshank through the former, a gure having movable parts adapted to be attached to said front-board, and means connected with said needle shank for transmitting movement to the movable parts of said figure.

4. In a device ofthe kind described, a fixed front board, a movable back-board mounted to move bodily toward and away from said front board, means for supporting said back-board in movable relation to said front-board, means for producing the movement of said back-board, a figure comprising a body-portion, movable parts conmovement of said back-board, a figure havlll) nected with said body portion, a tubular sleeve secured to said body-portion, a needleshank adapted to reciprocate through said sleeve, said sleeve piercing said front-board to attach said ligure thereto and said needleshank engaging said back-board. whereby the movement of said back-board reciprocateS said needle-shank, and means connected with said needle-shank adapted to engage said movable parts to transmit movement thereto.

5. In a device of the kind described, a frame-member, a front-board fixed in said frame-member so as to provide a display surface, a movable back-board in the rear of said front-board and spaced away from the same, means for support-ing said movable back-board, a rotatable shaft in the rear of said movable back-board, means for supporting said shaft, an eccentric cam-member on said shaft adapted to engage said backboard, spring-members between said frontboard and said back-board for maintaining the latter in operative engagement with said cam-member, means for rotating said shaft, a figure having movable part-s adapted to be attached to said front-board, means connected with said ligure passing through said front-board and engaging said back- -board where-by the latter transmits motion to the moving parts of said figure.

6. In a device of the kind described, a ligure comprising a body-portion, movable parts connected with said body portion, a tubular sleeve secured to said body-portion, a needle-shank adapted to reciprocate through said sleeve, and means connected with one end of said needle-shank adapted to engage said movable parts to transmit movement thereto when said needle-shank is reciprocated.

7. In a device of the kind described, a figure comprising a body-portion, rearwardly projecting fastening means connected with said body-portion for engaging the display surface of a sign, movable parts pivotally associated with said body-portion, a tubular sleeve secured to said body-portion and projecting rearwardly therefrom,

`a needle-shank slidably arranged in said tubular sleeve so as to be reciprocable therein, and means connected with one end of said needle-shank adapted to engage said movable parts to transmit movement thereto when said needle-shank is reciprocated.

S. In a device of the kind described, a frame-member, a front-board rigidly secured in said frame-member, a Vmovable back-board in the rear of said front-board, said lback-board having a facing of penetrable material of frictional gripping characteristics, means for supporting said movable back-board, means for moving said back-board, a ligure having movable parts adapted to be attached to said front-board, means connected with said Afigure passing through said front-board and penetrating said facing of said back-board to engage the latter whereby the latter transmits motion to the moving parts of said figure.

9. In a device of the kind described, a frame-member, a front-hoard rigidly secured in said frame-member, a movable back-boardin the rear of said front-board, said back-board having a facing o-f penetrable material of frictional gripping characteristics, means for supporting said movable back-board, means for moving said backboard, a figure comprising a body-portion, movable parts connected with said body portion, a tubular sleeve secured to said body-portion, a needle-shank adapted to reciprocate through said sleeve, said sleeve piercing said front-board to attach said movable figure thereto, and said needleshank penetrating said facing of said backboard whereby the movement of said backboard reciprocates said needle-shank, and means connected with said needle-shank adapted to engage said movable parts to transmit movement thereto.

In testimony, that l claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of December, 1912.

RUSSELL WHITCOMB.

Vitnesses GEORGE D. RICHARDS, FRnDK. H. VY. FILAENTZEL.

Copies of this patent may 'ne obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

